SITKOT is quiet.

Other local rockblogs are not.  Read them all here:

http://pittsburghmusicblog.blogspot.com/

Thanks.

JR's Best Albums in the First Half of 2010

Well - it's been awhile since I last posted due to a number of things keeping me busy, but I wanted to share a list of my favorite albums that arrived in the first half of 2010. Last year, there was a single standout album that stuck for me immediately and was never superseded at any point after it came out. In fact, if it came out this year, it would also be the best album in the first half of 2010. And that album would be............Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors. But I digress. This post is about new music, not year-old music that still blows my mind over a year later. Here is my top 10 in order from best to 10th best:

1. Teen Dream by Beach House

What an amazing album by Beach House. I can honestly say that I like every single track. Definitely my favorite so far this year, and very cool DVD that accompanies the vinyl copy of this album containing a different music video for each song. I also *saw* them in concert earlier this year and they sounded awesome live. I use the term "saw" loosely since the concert was at Diesel and the stage is only viewable for approximately 25 people after they renovated the place to make it awful for concert viewing. I was not one of the 25.

2. Brothers by The Black Keys

But for Teen Dream, this would be my favorite album by a long shot. There is a significant gap between my first and second choices and the remaining eight. I feel like this is potentially the Keys' masterpiece. Everything is really working for them on this album and I love the fact that they stuffed the album with 15 tracks, none of which are filler in my opinion even though some "professional" critics have said that the album is too long. Sometimes people feel like they need to say something negative for credibility purposes, but I have nothing negative to say here. The riffs are sweet and the use of falsetto on several of the tracks adds a new dimension to the Keys sound that works really well. A five star effort in every respect. Great music videos too, especially the one for "Tighten Up".

3. Expo '86 by Wolf Parade

A great effort by Wolf Parade after At Mount Zoomer, which was a bit of a letdown.

4. Forgiveness Rock Record by Broken Social Scene

I've been coming back to this album a lot lately. It's definitely an improvement over their last self-titled album and over Brendan Canning's lead effort. I would still rank it a notch below Kevin Drew's album and it's not nearly as good as You Forgot It in People, but not much is from the last 10 years!

5. Treats by Sleigh Bells

6. Astro Coast by Surfer Blood

7. Gorilla Manor by Local Natives

8. Fang Island by Fang Island

Just saw Fang Island with The Flaming Lips and they were a great opening act. Awesome energy and incredible guitar work. Anytime you have three dudes dueling on the guitar and it doesn't come across as cheesy, you're doing something right. Very nice debut album. "Life Coach" is one of my favorite tracks of the year, even if it sounds a little like "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates (as my fellow blogger Roberto so astutely pointed out before the show - Fang Island, not Hall & Oates).

9. Heartland by Owen Pallett

10. King of the Beach by Wavves

I also have one honorable mention that is growing on me and might be a lot higher on my end of year list: Mines by Menomena. Also, it hurt me not to put This is Happening by LCD Soundsystem on the list, but it really lost some steam for me as of late. I like three tracks a lot, but the rest of the album just doesn't do it for me.

Rock on!

Has SITKOT gone dark?

We shall see.

An open plea to Diesel

Dear Diesel,

Beach House was pretty good last night. They sounded really good, actually. Problem is, I couldn't see a thing for most of the show.

I skipped the opener, so the place was already packed when I arrived. The floor was so crowded there was really nowhere good to stand without blocking someone else. My own fault, I admit, for arriving late. So I tried upstairs, which I'm sure you're aware suffers from even worse visibility problems than it previously did, thanks to the recent renovations (which I know the clubbers--who surely account for a bigger portion of your revenues--love, so I can't fault you that).

I was able to get into a corner by the door for a little while where I could sort of see the drummer from behind, but then someone told me I couldn't stand there. I got a beer and found a spot on the back wall and gave up on trying to see anything. I listened to the music, and I enjoyed it.

All of this is just precursor; I knew what I was getting into when I bought a ticket to a Diesel show. You guys have a great soundsystem, terrible visibility issues, and Joker's been booking some solid acts there lately. But let's get to the point, to the puzzle: I counted six TVs that weren't turned on and were easily visible to the 30% or so of the crowd who could not see the stage.

So, why not set up a closed circuit, aim a fixed camera on the stage, and display concerts on those fancy hi-def screens in the future, a la Thunderbird?

Very truly yours,
Roberto

My Current Favorite Songs As I Journey South

As I am preparing for a short vacation at the end of this week, I thought that I would pass along my list of current favorite tracks for all inclined to follow along with my musical tastes:

Pa Pa Power by Dead Man's Bones - Can't get this song out of my head. It is so catchy it should come with a warning.

Chase Scene by Broken Social Scene - Awesome track for driving fast. I feel like I'm in a Steve McQueen movie whenever I listen to it.

Life Coach by Fang Island - Another song that is amazingly catchy and is constantly on my rotation.

Dance Yourself Clean by LCD Soundsystem - Great track by Mr. Murphy. No one builds a better electro-track than this guy. The song just grows and grows until it erupts in all of its electronic splendor.

Tell 'Em by Sleigh Bells - This track explodes from my speakers every time I hear it. Heavy fuzz at its absolute finest.

Tighten Up by The Black Keys - When they break it down at the 2:35 mark, I just can't help but smile at the genius of it all. I wish that I could write gritty blues licks like these two guys.

Bonus track from the archives - Let It Loose by The Rolling Stones - very underrated song from Exile on Main Street. Very bluesy and soulful. Great vocals by Mick on this one and one of my all time favorite Stones songs.

Enjoy!

SITKOT goes on holiday

In case you haven't noticed, we've taken a bit of a siesta. Expect it to last through mid-June or so as we all do a little traveling. Someone may surprise me and sneak a post in here toward the end of Arts Fest, but I doubt it.

Set List: Josh Ritter at Diesel, May 18, 2010

Let me know if you think I missed any...

Full band:
1. Change of Time
2. Southern Pacifica
3. Rumors
4. Folk Bloodbath
5. Right Moves
6. Good Man
7. Rattling Locks
8. The Curse
9. Lark
10. Wolves

Solo:
11. Monster Ballads
12. The River (Springsteen)
13. In the Dark [without mic]
14. Kathleen [as band rejoins]

Full band:
15. Girl in the War
[Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabelle Lee" read by Ritter's father]
16. Another New World
17. Harrisburg --> Wicked Game --> Harrisburg
18. Lantern
19. To the Dogs or Whoever

Encore:
20. Moon River
21. Snow is Gone
22. Wait for Love [dedicated to "Dan", who repeatedly requested "Lillian, Egypt" during the show]

Thanks to YouTube user ejg5068 for the posted video and a few others.

A word about My Morning Jacket and the birth of a blog (this one, actually)

As a phrase, title, or whatever else, "songs in the key of touché" has little meaning in the context of what this blog has turned out to be. But there was a time when My Morning Jacket released Evil Urges. The time was 2008. I loved it, Henry hated it. We argued, nobody won, and we talked about starting a blog where we fought over various albums/songs/concerts that we disagreed on. That blog never came to be, but the proposed title of "Songs in the Key of Touché" stuck with me, so when I finally got around to starting a blog on a spark of inspiration from AC/DC and a six-pack or so of warm Labatt Blue Light, I went with it.

Anyway, Henry tells me My Morning Jacket is awesome live, and I can't wait to find out on August 29 27 when they roll into the Station Square Amphiteatre, which I think has a new name that I don't plan to call it by.

Download/Stream:My Morning Jacket - "It Makes No Difference" (The Band cover)

Bonus Download - In honor of tonight's show, here's Josh Ritter a little over a year ago at Diesel playing what has turned out to be one of the best songs on his new record:

Josh Ritter - "The Curse" (live in Pittsburgh, 3-29-09)

SITKOT's current favorites

El Loco Mooso:
Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Guster - Lost and Gone Forever
Mastodon - Crack the Skye

Henry:
Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away
Son Volt - American Central Dust
Madvillian - Madvillainy

JR:
Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
Sleigh Bells - Treats
The National - High Violet

Roberto:
The National - High Violet
Josh Ritter - So Runs the Worlds Away
Broken Bells - Broken Bells

Honorable mention:
Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts

Download/Stream:
The National - "Bloodbuzz Ohio"
Josh Ritter - "Change of Time"
Sleigh Bells - "Tell 'Em"

Some Monday FYIs

1a. According to one of our archrival local rockblogs, Pittsburgh Music Report, Interpol will be coming to Mr. Small's on June 23. Hot stuff.

1b. Carlos D. has left Interpol. Not too worried.

1c. Download "Lights," the lead single off Interpol's forthcoming LP at their site.

2a. The National's new album is awesome, and is now streaming in full on NPR and Grooveshark. Least satisfying lyric: "I was afraid I'd eat your brains because I'm evil." Buy it tomorrow.

2b. As of now, Pittsburgh is not among The National's stops on their upcoming tour. Come on.

Cymbals Eat Guitars Devour Ear Drums

When I heard that Cymbals Eat Guitars was making a stop in Pittsburgh, I was pretty pumped. For anyone who isn't familiar with the band, they put out a self-released album last year that received heaps of praise from several indie band websites as well as from yours truly who listed their debut album, Why There Are Mountains as the 11th best album of the year. Their sound is very unique with wailing vocals and some serious noise-shred guitar work. I was curious as to how they were going to pull this sound off in a live setting - I was not disappointed.

They started out playing the first song from Why There Are Mountains called "...And the Hazy Sea", which also happens to be my favorite song of theirs. Joe D'Agostino, the lead singer and guitarist offered some ear plugs to everyone before they began and I am still wishing today that I had used them. The sound coming from their set-up was monumentally loud, but at the same time controlled. On many of the songs, Joe's vocals range from soft to screaming, which is a little reminiscent of Pixies or Nirvana and the whole soft/loud style, but the songs themselves are instrumentally very different. One thing that struck me during the show was just how much Joe used an Ibanez Tube Screamer pedal. I even mentioned to him after the show how liberal his use of the pedal was and he said that he always has three of them just in case they break because they are so important to the band's sound.

Overall, the band played basically every song from Why There Are Mountains and a few new tracks. Their stage presence and energy was incredible and nothing I describe in this review could possibly do the show justice. If you ever have the opportunity to see them in person do yourself a favor and see them, but don't forget the ear plugs.

One additional note: the first opening act, Big Hurry, is a local Pittsburgh band with an awesome sound. I talked to the band a little bit before the show at Sammy's and they are also really nice people. Check them out if you get the chance. I would compare Kelly's vocals to a cross between Joanna Newsom and Feist. And the guitar work was great too. Definitely a fine addition to the Pittsburgh music scene.

An aside re: August 1st

So I realize that concert promoters don't consult with indie fans, or each other--or local parks officials for that matter--when planning shows. But in the future, maybe they could.

Anyway, my math is rusty, but if I had to guess:

(Built to Spill @ Mr. Small's) < (Yo La Tengo @ Hartwood Acres)?

Yo La Tengo coming to Hartwood Acres

What else is there to say? I guess that there are a few other concerts to look for at the county parks this summer too:

06.04: Pittsburgh Opera, South Park, 7:30 p.m.

07.02: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, South Park, Time TBA

07.18: Rosanne Cash, Hartwood Acres, 7:30 p.m.

07.23-25: 16th Annual Blues Festival, Hartwood Acres

07.30: Incendio, South Park, 7:30 p.m.

08.01: Yo La Tengo, Hartwood Acres, 7:30 p.m.
08.06: Livingston Taylor, South Park, 7:30 p.m.
08.13: Marcia Ball Band, South Park, 7:30 p.m.

08.22: Joe Sample Trio, Hartwood Acres, 7:30 p.m.

09.05: Rusted Root, Hartwood Acres, 7:30 p.m.

Download/Stream:

Yo La Tengo - "You Can Have It All"

A brief word on The Hills season premiere

I'm in your corner, Kristen.

We're still here.

But, then, so are the other blogs, and they're doing a better job of blogging lately. So I hand it to them, and I hand you over to them this week. (Although I do want to mention that the 28 North track posted at Burgh Sounds is pretty sweet indeed.)

speed of the pittsburgh sound
The Ceiling Stares and the Spirit of Analog
"The Ceiling Stares, Pittsburgh’s newest underground rock heroes, embrace the lo-fi movement in the correct manner."

Pittsburgh Music Report
David Bazan - House Show - Pittsburgh - 5/29/10
"David Bazan (Pedro the Lion fame) will be performing a house show in Pittsburgh on 5/29."

Burgh Sounds
28 North bleed rock and hope to bleed more
“The band 28 North is so close to huge breakout success, that listening to their new self-tiled record brings — along with the pleasure of hearing a dozen tracks of kinetic rock and roll — a touch of frustration as well."

Old Mon Music
Jammin' From Carnegie to Colorado
"Vince Herman grew up in Carnegie, the youngest of seven children in a music loving family."

The Watson Twins @ and on YEP Monday

I was lucky enough to follow up Sunday night's Wilco show with Monday's midday in-studio concert by the Watson Twins. The Louisville-rooted, LA-based duo was due to play YEP before their February show but Snowmaggedon hindered their plans. Yesterday they graciously stopped through on their way home to LA, having concluded their recent tour at the Mountain Stage in WV last night.

Chandra and Leigh (Watson) brought a wirey-haired keyboardist (Kip?) and filled the studio with their beautiful harmonies, light acoustic guitar and axillary percussion. Between thoughtful anecdotes and recording stories their set list was:

1. Tell Me Why 2. Calling Out 3. Devil in You 4. Southern Manners

All four songs were well-performed, but "Southern Manners" (the title track to their 2006 debut album) was downright stirring. Honestly, I didn't know their catalog outside of 2006's Jenny Lewis collaboration "Rabbit Fur Coat." Big mistake on my part. These ladies are supremely talented.

A captivating and symbiotic presence, they have been harmonizing since they were 8-years-old. In fact, they are so in-synch that their mother's (pre-ultrasound) obstetrician couldn't discern two separate heartbeats until less than two months before their birth. As Leigh said yesterday, "Our dad is 6'8" so our parents thought we were just a really big baby."

They wear their lo-fi-ness as a badge of pride; typically opting for 8 or 16 track analog. Surprisingly, they write their music separately. On March's recent release "Talking to You, Talking to Me," they each wrote 6 of the 12 tracks, taking their inspiration from time holed up in their producer's remote cabin in the high-Sierra Mountains. This time around, the song's author took lead vocals then together, they recorded duet harmonies for backing vocals.

Hot off of today's studio set I'm excited to delve into their albums and will be looking forward to their return to the 'Burgh, which Chandra thinks will be late-Summer or early-Fall.

Stay tuned. In the meantime, click here for a free MP3 of "U N Me" off of their new album.

Another Wilco Review!?

Well, not really - Roberto and JR nailed down the details pretty well and I'm not typically one for remembering that "that one note on that one song..." But holy crappamolie that was a killer concert - so here are my quick hits:

1) Glenn Kotche is a heckofa drummer. My two blogging chronies are axe-men so their Nels Cline fawning isn't surprising, or unmerited. But as a drummer with lofted seats, my aerial view afforded me perfect fixation on Glenn's movements for the first third of the show. Those interested can check out his Wilco kit here. His movement between such a tightly wound mess of equipment is at once deftly economical and perfectly spot-on.
1b) Note to our Aussie readers: Nels and Glenn will be playing an "improv jazz" duet at the Melbourne Jazz Fest on May 7. Those of you down-under should not miss it and let us know if you go, JR is thinking about making the trip.

2) I haven't been to a show with so much pre-concert, expectant energy in a while. You really got the sense you were a part of something special amidst a who's who of Pittsburgh music lovers. The grandeur of the venue certainly played a part in the excitement - a tremendous hall save for the 80 or so obstructed view seats that Roberto mentioned and the thick, stinky air.

3) I didn't care much for the acoustic set. It was a nice way to break up a marathon show, but as such it felt like more of a sideshow than an exposition. I am, however, always a fan of kitschy floorlamps for creating acoustic set intimacy. Nice fringed lampshades, fellas.

4) Damn that's a small stage! I first noticed how small it was back when Feist and her band were crowded in there last year. But with Wilco's packed laboratory of amplification and instrumentation, Nels' spastic movements were held in check. Whether or not the stage benefits the performance, it's always refreshing to see big bands who play big stages in big venues reign it in a little.

5) The PG made a big deal about Wilco joining a "supposed 2:45 minute club" - typically Springsteen, Phish, Dead territory. An interview I read quoted Tweedy saying that the goal of this tour is to "leave (the fans) wanting less" and play as long as they're allowed. By any account, I'm sure no one left feeling like they didn't get their money's worth.

I certainly couldn't have asked for more and will be eagerly anticipating my next "Evening (into early morning) with Wilco".

Another Wilco Review

Apologies to non-Wilco fans for today's barrage. Anyway...

For some perspective on where I'm coming from, this was my 7th (maybe 8th?) time seeing these guys. The latest album and A.M. are my least favorite Wilco records. I would say I was pretty diehard for a good while between Summerteeth and Sky Blue Sky. And I'm still still a big fan.

As concerts go, this one was great. As Wilco concerts go, it was slightly above average. My #1 Wilco show would have been at Massey Hall in Toronto. Part of it was the setting, part of it was the setlist, and part of it was certainly seeing Nels Cline live for the first time. Jimmy's review below rings true with me. Cline's energy, musical proficiency, and bizarrely captivating body movements add so much to Wilco's live presence that he can really save a show, as I think he did at the Palumbo the last time they came though town. So imagine my disappointment when I found my seat last night and couldn't even see him at stage-right without standing and leaning way forward. (For those, like me, who may have thought there is not a bad seat in Carnegie Music Hall: there are about 40 of them, actually, in the back corners of the second balcony). I thought I would just suck it up and sink into the music.

My seat assignment surely took a bit away from my enjoyment of the first set. But, even accounting for that, I felt like the band took a little while to warm up. "Shot in the Arm" was where I really started feeling things, and I think by "California Stars" they were in full swing. When "Impossible Germany" rolled around and those sweet-ass guitar lines began to weave themselves together, it was time to move. Luckily, there were a surprising number of empty seats in the first balcony, and the staff didn’t seem to care at all when we snagged some prime seats not too far off-center.

I would have expected the acoustic set to be a highlight. As "Poor Places" built into an awesome symphony of noise, some roadies carried out a smaller drum kit, some keyboards and a selection of acoustic guitars. The noise subsided and the band assumed their new positions on the stage within the stage. "Spiders" was an interesting choice for the first song of this set. Probably a better idea in theory than in practice, unfortunately. While I don’t fault them for trying to switch things up on what usually turns into an epic electronic jam, it left me wanting more. Luckily they followed with a highlight of the show for me, "More Like the Moon." A very mellow, very underrated Wilco tune in my opinion. This was the first time I'd heard it live, and it did not disappoint. The rest of the acoustic set was fine, but nothing game-changing. It was definitely a nice touch and a cool opportunity to see Wilco tone things down a bit, but I was glad when, during "Airline to Heaven," the roadies began to break down the acoustic stage.

The third set just killed. "Via Chicago" was on par with the best versions I've heard, and from "Jesus" through "Monday" the whole band was on fire. One thing I always appreciate about Wilco is their ability to blend the old and new songs into a set and make them all fit harmoniously. I thought this was really on display in the third set, especially with a great "Candyfloss" in the middle. I can’t say I've ever found myself pulling Summerteeth out just to hear that tune, but it was right on time last night. And I love that it led into "Hate it Here" and "Walken," both of which completely rocked, and both of which were standouts of the night for me.

Overall, I wouldn't rank this as one of the best Wilco shows I've seen, although certainly better than the 2007 Palumbo show. Maybe somewhere in the middle for me. That said, it's Wilco. This is hands-down one of the best live bands playing today, and I have yet to walk out of a show disappointed.

An Evening With Wilco - A Rookie's Review

So as it happens, most of the SITKOT crew made it to the Wilco show last night at Carnegie Music Hall, and what a show it was. I must confess that although I have listened to Wilco for years - I started getting into them when Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was released - this was the first time that I've seen them perform live. I can honestly say that it was one of the best shows that I've ever seen. Because my other SITKOT comrades are going to be better with the details, having been to a show or seven, I'm going to keep my review brief and just give a few highlights.

1) Nels Cline - Guitar God. Yes, I just did. Perhaps I am biased because I am still fresh off the show last night, but I never expected Nels Cline to have some of the most insane chops that I've ever witnessed. On many of the songs from Wilco (The Album) and Sky Blue Sky he absolutely shredded the guitar, but in an always appropriate, never cheesy way. Even on the more country-tinged songs, his country soloing stayed within the genre and was smokin'. Unbelievable.

2) The Length of the Set - It was also amazing how long the set ran. I had heard that Wilco puts on some long shows, but this was incredible. Three plus hours of solid music. Their albums can't do their live show justice. During the show, I couldn't help but think that Wilco is like a modern day version of the band Television. Great soloing with purpose and catchy riffs flourishing throughout almost every single song. My highlights were "A Shot in the Arm", "Walken" (which was not even one of my favorites on Sky Blue Sky), "Impossible Germany", "Company in My Back" and "Theologians". In particular, the soloing by Nels in "A Shot in the Arm" was nothing short of magnificent.

Overall, the best show of the year so far and one that will be hard to top by any other band coming to the 'Burgh. When I think about the expansiveness of Wilco's catalogue and the fluidity of their performance last night, I can safely say that they are one of the great bands still creating relevant music that should have generational staying power.

Ok - two small gripes about the venue. First, anyone who has been to a performance at Carnegie Music Hall knows that it tends to get stuffy, and that is usually during a 1.5 hour show. When we were approaching hour three I felt like I was standing in a pressure cooker. I was thinking to myself, "Thank God this is a Wilco show and not a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert because more than one person might have passed out from the stench." And I'm not talking about the song "That Smell".

Second, I was sitting on the first level and the doors leading into the atrium were open during the acoustic set and there were people talking very loudly, to the point where Jeff Tweedy even commented that he could hear the talking and that he was dedicating the next song to the working people in the audience who paid $50 to see a Wilco performance and not talk in the lobby - or something like that. I know that it was hot and stuffy, but jeez, show a little more respect for a world-class band closing out their tour in our fine city.

Setlist: Wilco at Carnegie Music Hall - April 11, 2010

As they've been doing during this "An Evening With Wilco" series of shows (the last of which was last night's), Wilco played sort of three sets in one set. No breaks except for a very brief one before the encore. I think they played from roughly 8:10 to 11:10. 37 songs in three hours. Not bad.

Three of us from the blog were there, so a review or recap may follow, depending on motivational levels.

Mostly Electric:
Wilco (the Song)
Bull Black Nova
You are My Face
I am Trying to Break Your Heart
One Wing
Shot in the Arm
On and On
Company in My Back
Deeper Down
Handshake Drugs
California Stars
Impossible Germany
I’ll Fight
Poor Places (feedback into stage change)

Mostly Acoustic:
Spiders
More Like the Moon
Someday Some Morning Sometime
Not for the Season
When You Wake Up Feeling Old
Don’t Forget the Flowers
War on War
Passenger Side
Airline to Heaven (during stage change)

Mostly Electric:
Via Chicago
Box Full of Letters
You Never Know
Jesus, Etc.
Theologians
Heavy Metal Drummer
Candyfloss
Hate it Here
Walken
I’m the Man Who Loves You
Monday
Thank You Friends

Encore:
Casino Queen
Outtasite (Outta Mind)

The Wolf Is Loose

The first time I heard of Mastodon I was sitting in my apartment in Salt Lake City, Utah on a ratty pull out couch I had bought at a goodwill store for $10 reading Life Sucks Die magazine. A metal-head all my life, I was, at that moment, coming to grips with the fact that Reinventing the Steel was probably going to be Pantera’s last album. To fill the void, I had slowly started to wade into underground hip hop- Cannibal Ox’s The Cold Vein is a timeless classic of that era btdubbs. I began to wonder whether my metal days were winding down (these were life’s big questions to me at that point).

LSD typically reviewed hip hop acts but occasionally tossed in some random fare. I remember the author writing about how “chuffed” he was by the Viking-like ferocity of Mastodon’s Lifesblood EP. A glimmer of hope stirred in my iron-maiden mind. My interest piqued, I ran around the corner and ordered the EP from a local record shop. I was hooked from first listen.

The opening track of Lifesblood, Shadows that Move, opens with a sample from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest- one of my favorite movies and one of my favorite lines in that movie. Patient Harding starts ranting: I'm not just talking about my wife, I'm talking about my LIFE, I can't seem to get that through to you. I'm not just talking about one person, I'm talking about everybody. I'm talking about form. I'm talking about content. I'm talking about interrelationships. I'm talking about God, the devil, Hell, Heaven. Do you understand... FINALLY? And then right at FINALLY Mastodon hits you with this mountain of sound like a whirling dervish all fists and elbows. A chill ran up my spine- I knew right then that my metal days were far from over. I must have listened to Lifesblood twenty times that first day. It was raw and angry yet purposeful; this was a cerebral band. The problem with a lot of metal acts, whatever the genre, is that their aggression is unfocused. This leads to a smattering of great riffs and vocals but with an ultimately empty feel. No one could ever accuse Mastodon of being devoid of feel.

After an anxious wait I was blown away by Mastodon’s full-length follow-up album- Remission. In fact I have a t-shirt from the Remission tour with an exploding pink horse on it that remains my single favorite article of clothing despite all the shit I get when I wear it. Though Remission is considered by most to be Mastodon’s only non-concept album it is nonetheless a work of art. The further cohesion of the band can clearly be heard in Remission’s transformed sound. Lost was some of the primal grit of Lifesblood. But this was more than made up for by the increased clarity of the album. More importantly is the focus that Mastodon placed on wistful guitar solos- the end of Ol’e Nessie being a prime example. It is this wistful and melancholic thread, woven throughout Mastodon’s albums that has hooked me as a fan for life.

Over time, Mastodon’s jams have morphed from downcast to something reminiscent of what I think deep space travel would feel like. In fact, when asked about how Mastodon’s most recent album, Crack the Skye came about bassist Troy Sanders said “we kinda strapped on our aeroshells and departed from Earth for a while, and then captained to the ethereal element of the universe and kind of slept on the roof of the world for a while to get a perspective on this record.” Admittedly that line gives me a tinge of lame chills for its new agey/pseudo-philosophicalness BUT the music saves the day. Crack the Skye is fraught with guitar-laden departures that can only be described as extra-terrestrial.

I could go on ad nauseam about Mastodon’s subsequent epics Leviathan, Blood Mountain and Crack the Skye (and hope to do so in a future post) but this particular diatribe is starting to feel tome-like. Real quick though, these three albums began Mastodon’s elemental ‘concept album’ phase. Leviathan, the water album, is based on Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, with song titles like “I am Ahab,” “Seabeast,” (I defy you to keep from nodding your head to this) and “Iron Tusk.” Blood Mountain, representing the Earth element, is about a man searching for the crystal skull in order to place it on top of Blood Mountain so that his reptilian brain can be removed allowing him to achieve the next step in human evolution. And finally, if you thought it couldn’t get any more bizarre, there is Mastodon’s most recent album Crack the Skye. In a review on Pitchfork.com Tom Breihan declared that with CTS, Mastodon’s concepts are officially “out of control.” Breihan best summarized the album plot as “a record about a kid who experiments with astral travel and then goes through a wormhole and meets Rasputin and Rasputin enters his body to escape assassination, or something.” Yeah.

The bottom line is that Mastodon IS COMING TO TOWN! They will be playing the Palace Theatre in Greensburg on April 26, 2010 with Baroness (another amazing group from Georgia), Between the Buried and Me and Valient Thorr. Don’t Sleep on this Giant of a show.

Concert Review: Girls and Dum Dum Girls at Mr. Small's

JR: The show was decent. First, Dum Dum Girls: their set was tight from start to finish. They opened with their cover of The Rolling Stones' "Play With Fire", which they do very well. The closer was "Jail La La", as I would have expected given that is their first single off the new album. Musically speaking, the songs are mostly three-chord mashers with some bells and whistles thrown in for good measure, but vocally, I thought they were pretty awesome. The lead singer has a great voice and the harmonies worked very well, in my opinion.

Roberto: Definitely. I hadn’t been impressed with what I’d heard of Dum Dum Girls before the show, but they were very good live. The vocals in particular were really tight and sounded great, reminiscent of some early-70s gospel-rock harmonies. They have like no stage presence, but I didn't find myself thinking, "These chics have, like, no stage presence." In fact, it didn't detract from the music at all in my opinion. It actually worked with their aesthetic. Really enjoyable opener.

JR: The lead signer was also wearing some pretty awesome tights.

Roberto: Sweet tights FTW.

Girls started off great. I can't remember what they opened the set with for the life of me, but I do remember thinking it was a great starter. For the better part of the set the sound was excellent and the song selection was great. I think "Laura" was the third or fourth song in, and that seemed to be the big crowd-pleaser of the night. Not a lot of stage presence with these guys either, but that didn't seem to to hold them back. They're not the kind of band you would ever describe as a great live band, though generally the songs equaled the album versions when played live.

JR: Amazingly, the mix was quite good for most of the night, especially during the Dum Dum Girls' set. You could actually make out the vocals most of the time - not like the Deerhunter/No Age/ Dan Deacon show that we attended last summer at Mr. Small's, which was a sound engineering nightmare. As for Girls, I agree the first two-thirds of the set was great. Until around “Hellhole Ratrace”

Roberto: That really was where the show went wrong. First off, I thought it was a horrendous rendition. The drumming wasn't off beat; just off. It was almost as if the drummer had some Phil Collins pumping into a personal set of headphones right on rhythm. I found it distracting. I also thought some guitar change-ups in the song didn't work. I'm all for reinventing your own tunes, but this particular version didn't wow.

JR: I actually thought "Hellhole Ratrace" started off great, but then it turned into a wall of distortion, which would have been fine had it lasted 30 seconds - it probably lasted about a solid three minutes.

Roberto: Yeah, the feedback. Girls is not Sonic Youth, and the lesson should be learned early by any indie band that noise for the sake of noise will fail almost every time. When they finally let the feedback lead into "Morning Light" I was ready to let it slide and rock out a bit. But it didn’t let up, and there was just no control of the distortion. Some high frequency drone persisted that had a solid third of the crowd cringing and/or plugging their ears. Some were eyeballing the soundboard; I blame this one squarely on the band.

JR: That is where any other band probably would have called it a night and closed it out with the big grandiose distorted finish. But no. Then they played one more song and did a three song encore that was poor.

Roberto: True, I might have let the noise thing slide if they'd closed the set on that loud note. I can appreciate a climax. But the last song of the main set was totally forgettable (literally, as it turns out). The encore was respectable in length but pretty weak otherwise.

JR: They didn't save any of the their best tracks for the encore, so it was very anticlimactic. They also lost whatever magic they had with the sound board, because the encore sounded horrible from an acoustics perspective. And throughout the encore the drummer especially seemed like he was playing with a different band -- it just wasn't working, period.

Roberto: My favorite Girls tune actually popped up in the encore: "Lauren Marie." Unfortunately it was totally lackluster and the vocals were really drowned out. "Big Bad Mean Motherf*cker" was only slightly better. All in all, I left a bit disappointed, which is too bad because it really was a good show for the most part.

JR: I would give the show as a whole a 6 out of 10, and that figure is aided significantly by the Dum Dum Girls' performance, which was very good. Ultimately, no one really wants a 6. Your friends probably won't make fun of you for being with a 6, but you will never be totally satisfied, always wondering if things could have been better. That's how I felt about this show. It was good enough not to be embarrassing, but the lows outweighed the highs, and I left feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Roberto: Agree, the lows just outweighed the highs in the end. I’m on board with that 6 out of 10. Or, 35 out of 57 varieties on the SITKOT scale.

SITKOT appreciates jazz this month

We don't spotlight enough jazz here on the site, but April is a tough month to ignore on that front. For starters, it's evidently National Jazz Appreciation Month. Not sure what that means exactly, except that there is a hell of a lot of good jazz in town over the next few weeks.

The Mellon jazz series has a lot going on all spring, the full schedule for which is here. Most, but not quite all, are at the Cabaret or the Backstage Bar, both over in the Theatre District, both very nice places for a concert if you haven't been there. A few shows I want to call out: Paquito D'Rivera's Funk Tango Quintet at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild; Sean Jones & Dwayne Dolphin at the Cabaret; and Pittsburgh Native Jeff Tain Watts also at the Cabaret.

Another worth mentioning, with whom I actually wasn't familiar until this week, is Ahmad Jamal. He's being billed as the "headliner" of the month, so there must be something to that, yes? He'll be at the Byham on the 9th. Check him out below.

Before any of that, however, George Winston passes tomorrow night through that old library on the hill over in Munhall. Though probably best known for his soothing soft jazz melodies, there's more to his catalog. Not your standard jazzman, Winston was somewhat discovered by experimental folk guitarist John Fahey, and his music still carries that folk origin while blending in sounds of rock, blues and R&B.

Ahmad Jamal - "Arabesque"

Corey Harris in Oakland on Saturday

For months, since Calliope announced it was bringing Corey Harris in as part of its concert series this year, I've been racking my brain trying to remember how I first heard Harris. I've been a fan since hearing some track from Greens from the Garden and buying it almost immediately. I know it was the summer of 2000. But was it the driving beat of "Basehead"? His delta take on Woody Guthrie's "Teabag Blues"? On college radio? In a record store? What's the difference; I'm psyched for the show either way.

I've seen Harris twice now with his electric band--great stuff, but I've always been drawn most to his acoustic work, so this will be a welcome first for me. With harmonica master Phil Wiggins at his side, I expect tomorrow's show to be a highlight of my year.

Blue Notes wrote a little about what to expect, which you can read here.

(Current) Obsession, by Henry

Roberto's current obsession didn't do it for me. But rather than just be a naysayer, I'll be a Touche'er.

It's no secret that I like mashup artists. Some may argue that they are hardly artists at all - instead, just talentless bums ripping off the hard work of others. Bums, perhaps. But talentless...(?)

Enter: The White Panda. This dj duo (Griffi and Procrast) sent us their latest track "Tipsy in the Sun" - j.Kwon // weezer - like all their stuff, it can be streamed/downloaded at their site. It's nice, but not a game changer.

I did a bit more research into the duo and have since fallen hard for their debut mixtape "Versus" (click for stream/download), that came out in late December. I've been bumping it for a week now - riding my bike, in the car, in the house, wherev. Some highlights include "Golden Encore" Jay-Z // One Republic // The Whitest Boy Alive; "Forgot About September" Dr. Dre // Earth Wind and Fire; and "Army of Yeah" Wiz Khalifa // Usher // Umek & Beltek.

At a seamless hour in length, you're bound to hear something you like, over something else you like. You'll think - "huh, how'd they ever think to combine those?" That's what I like about mashup dj's - good ones can take two things you already like and add them together to make something you like even better.

Got a favorite mashup you think we should hear? Post it to Comments or send it to us.

My current obsession: Julieta Venegas

When I was younger, my dad had generally good taste in music. Certainly better than today anyway. But he had a bad habit of picking a favorite track and replaying it ad nauseum. CSN's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" recalls in my mind a particularly long drive to the beach one year. "Snowman" from Genesis' Then There Were Three never fails to deliver my memories to the backseat of his Wagoneer, wishing he would just let the cassette play through. Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" was probably his worst ever, while on Pink Floyd's The Division Bell he found several favorites, and soon thereafter he moved beyond that phase, thankfully.

Anyway, point being, I seem to have fallen into the same pattern myself during this last week. I cannot get enough of Julieta Venegas' "Bien o Mal" (that's "Good or Bad" in gringo speak). I listened to it on repeat for about 45 minutes today while running, and I'm still not tired of it.

Her new album, Otra Cosa, is excellent all the way through. I really do like every song on it. But I find that I almost have to force myself to let it play past Track 2 without seeking back, and most times I lose that battle of will power. So I've given up. I have no idea how many times I listened to this song last week, but I have a pretty good feeling I may match that number this week. (On a side note, I also have no idea what the hell's going on in this video.)



Download/Stream:
Julieta Venegas - "Bien o Mal"

Oh, you've got options this weekend

Once again a bunch of quality options for all the live music fans out there. As always, check the calendar on the lower right of this screen for a full, linked rundown.

I'm obliged to call out The Ceiling Stares cassette release party at Gooski's on Saturday night for a few reasons:

1) We don't give Gooski's enough play on this blog. Often that's because we can't find what's going on there. Has a venue ever done less to promote itself? It's a PGH rock institution nestled in Polish Hill - great beer selection and one of the better bar-music atmospheres around.

2) The Ceiling Stares are a PGH rockshow on the rise. Bonus: they have a Czar in their ranks.

3) When was the last time you went to a CASSETTE release party? Finally! Something to put in the tape player of my mid-nineties sedan.

You can stream and download the EP at their site... here.

Music, music everywhere

Man, what a weekend to be out of town. As I wait for my flight, I just want to highlight all the goodness I'll be missing over then next few days.

For some of the best that our city has to offer, Lohio and Emily Rodgers will be at Calliope Center Stage in the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts tonight. The tunes should run the gamut from mellow to upbeat, and should provide a good intro to the local scene for those unfamiliar.

There will also be some quality Celtic-rock happening over at the Hard Rock Cafe if you're looking to warm up for the weekend.

Friday, some quality roots rock on two spectrums (spectra?), with Rusted Root playing on a boat, and John Hiatt taking over the Munhall library. Tough to go wrong either way.

Saturday is a smorgasbord: If it's classic, quality, down-home rock you crave, find it at Altar Bar for 28 North's CD release party. If you've got the kids for the night, everyone can enjoy They Might Be Giants at the New Hazlett in the North Side. Brilloboxians the city wide should be thrilled to welcome Baltimore's indie-folk stalwarts Wye Oak. But if you're looking for a mellower evening, find a seat at Synod Hall (behind St. Paul's Cathedral in Oakland) for some eight-string artistry with Carlo Aonzo and the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra. Or, if you're feeling the spirit and a bit of the sauce, perhaps, Harp & Fiddle will keep you going all day. The lineup includes a stellar local cast of Mark Guiser, Hooley, Whiskey Limerick, Guaranteed Irish, and Red Hand Paddy.

So you've got options. Information about all can be found in the concert calendar in the sidebar.

Me? I have some salsa and calypso in my near future, with hopes for a bit of flamenco and a lot of sangria. Irish? No. But all things considered I guess I'm not too upset.

It don't get much more local than Radio

fContrary to some reports, I am still alive and well - both on the InterWebs and in real life. I've been focusing on some other projects for the past few months. While working on those projects, I've been tuning in to a lot of local, terrestrial radio. Here's a quick local radio roundup of what I hear:

WYEP - 91.3 - "Where the Music Matters" - Likely the local favorite of all Sitkot readers for good reason. Skews the most in our musical direction, hosts great events, free in-studio concerts. Cindy Howes is great on the morning mix. Perfect morning voice and good playlist and I love the the 'my 15 minutes' feature and the traffic jam after the 8am news. Midday Mix selections can get a little schlockey but on the whole are a better bet than most anything else you'll find on your radio dial. The Drive Home with Rosemary Welch is where I tune out. Her voice reminds me too much of nagging church ladies I used to know and her playlist is too... well, one Indigo Girls' song a year is enough for me. The Saturday Soul Show and Sunday Morning Roots and Rhythm Mix are both highlights of the weekend. All told, sure YEP could be better, more innovative, more underground - but it's the best we've got for now.

WDUQ 90.5 - The Jazz and NPR institution. Despite a recent, unprecedented fund drive haul to try and keep the popular Jazz and NPR News station afloat, it is uncertain what will become of it amidst speculation that Duquesne University, the owner of the license wants to sell it. What is certain is that Bob Studebaker and Tony Mowod are pillars of the local jazz community and two of the Burgh's best radio voices. Tony has been criticized for focusing too much on 'old jazz' his nightly show, but I don't mind the standards. I do mind his proclivity for warbly vocalists. But I've learned a lot from him since I started tuning in 5 years ago. DUQ keeps Pittsburgh's proud jazz tradition alive and is the ideal outlet for NPR news and programming. Let's hope it stays.

WDVE 102.5 - (Classic) Rocks. It's been said that this is Pittsburgh's quintessential station; likely true. Its classic rock, comedy cuts and morning show scream Yinzburgh culture. Being the Steelers' flagship doesn't hurt either. Great to have Randy back on the morning show after what was rumored to be a contractual impasse. Jimmy Krenn and Randy Baumann have an undeniable rapport and without Randy it seemed like the show was adrift, relying on Prisuta for comedy bits was untenable. Love the GunSlingers, Merrill Hoge and all the other comedians in the mix (except, of course for Mike Wysocki). Michelle Michaels, host of the lunch request show is likely the runner up for best radio voice in the Burgh behind DUQ's Tony Mowod. And Sean McDowell's stoned-out vibe on drive time show is always enjoyable. DVE offers what you want in a classic rock station - 50/50 odds that you'll hear a Skynyrd or Hendrix song any time you tune in.

WXDX 105.9 - Buttrock, the Pens Flagship and the SuperGenius. Can't get enough Linkin Park, Slipknot or 90's power rock? The X is your home. Don't get me wrong, they'll occasionally throw in some Beasties or Sublime that we can all get down to, but rest assured that'll be followed up with the newest power-chord-screamer on the airwaves. Their morning show will always play second fiddle to DVE; Tim Benz just isn't that entertaining or insightful. Of course, the X can't be mentioned without a glance toward the enormous shadow of Mark Madden. The ex-ESPN1250er hosts the drive time show there. He brashly pontificates on the days' sports stories, boasts wildly of his talent and dominance, belittles callers, interviews headlining strippers as they make tourstops at our local establishments, and breathes very heavily into the mic. Thing is, I can't stop listening to him. He's wildly entertaining. I enjoy his show the way Mrs. Kleber enjoys Gossip Girl. We both recognize the trash-factor, are kind of repulsed by the content, but for those reasons are drawn in.

Those are the 4 that I listen to in the car or when the iPod is dead. Of course, there are tons of other stations on the dial. What do you like and why? What did I overlook? What should we be listening to? Sound off in the comments.

Video: Joanna Newsom on Jimmy Fallon

I'll admit that I didn't really "get" her first album, and didn't give the new one much of a chance. But I caught this clip on Friday night and may have become a Joanna Newsom fan. I have some exploring to do.

What we're listening to

In case you care, here's an update.

Jimmy:

Good call on the Bad Plus song in the music widget. They are probably my favorite modern jazz group. Their song "Thriftstore Jewelry" is awesome, as is their cover of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World".

Roberto:

I loved that album when it came out, and haven't been listening to much jazz lately but recalled that song when I went to throw together the playlist. Rediscovered the record and glad I did.

On that note, what are you people listening to these days?

For my part, the Crazy Heart soundtrack is pretty awesome if you like the country/Americana thing. Ryan Bingham's contributions are the clear standouts, but Jeff Bridges manages to hold his own, thanks to T. Bone's heavy production hand. More so than Beach House or Hot Chip or some of the electronicish albums I've been listening to, this one really has me craving a hot day under the sun.

Also, I'm a few months behind on it but Guy Clark's new[est] record is a bit uneven, though solid for the most part and as good as anything he's put out in a while to my memory. For someone with relatively spare song arrangements, he might not strike as a guy who'd be better in concert, but somehow his studio efforts have never held up to his live renditions for me, even (especially?) on the classics (thinking "LA Freeway" in particular). Nonetheless, these new songs are tight, and the record is great at its high points.

Let me also throw out Shearwater's The Golden Archipelago for discussion. At times I find myself really sinking into the melodies and depth of sound; at others I feel like I've walked into some hybrid sci-fi convention / renaissance fair gone awry where Antony Hegarty's second-cousin is attempting a post-ironic Ziggy Stardust impression. Yet I still want to rock. Confused.

Jimmy:

I will definitely have to check those out, as I am unfamiliar with all three. I've been listening to Local Native's new album Gorilla Manor for the past week and I'm definitely into many of the songs, especially "Wide Eyes", "Airplanes" and "Sticky Thread". I feel like the album starts and ends very strong, but some of the middle tracks are not as tight and begin to sound a bit formulaic. I would say that, at their best, Local Natives sound like a fresher sounding Fleet Foxes, and, at their worst, sound like The Fray (not a compliment, by the way).

I've also been listening to The Flaming Lips' Embryonic quite a bit lately and it has grown on me through repeated listenings. I left it off of my "Best Albums of 2009" list and I'm going to stick to my guns, but only because it's The Flaming Lips. If it were any other band, and this was their debut album, it probably would have made my list, fair or not. I've really been digging the songs "Worm Mountain" and "Watching the Planets". The vinyl version of this album really does the heaviness of the sound justice and sounds great when played through a system with a good subwoofer.

Another old album that I've been playing fairly often is the Beasties' best, Paul's Boutique. I never get tired of hearing tracks like "Egg Man", "Hey Ladies" or "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun", but the one that really does it for me is "B-Boy Bouillabaisse". It's like a mini-rap opera and I can't help but compare it to Paul's medley's at the end of Abbey Road - pure genius by the Beasties. Also, the fact that the Beasties could seamlessly sample the themes from Jaws and Psycho into a song that also samples the songs "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello, "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield, "Dance to the Music" by Sly and the Family Stone, and "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy (among several other songs), and have it turn into a hip-hop masterpiece is incredible. There will never be another Paul's Boutique, not just because the talent of the Beasties is epic, but because the amount of money it would cost now to sample that many songs on one album would be an incredible sum since copyright laws have changed, not to mention the fact that certain artists, like the Beatles, would probably not permit the type of sampling that was done on a song like "The Sounds of Science" irrespective of the Beastie's willingness to pay the fees.

El Loco Mooso:

Uhhhhhh... you guys went off - impressive insights. Like my personality, my thoughts will be much shallower.

My listening differs between work and home. I can only work to more ambient types of music.

Work - right now my Grooveshark playlist includes a lot of DJ Shadow, especially the Endtroducing album. Coincidentally Jimmy, "Best Foot Forward" samples "Party’s Getting Rough" by the BBs. So many great samples on that album: "Transmission 2" used synthesizers from Blade Runner (great movie), "Midnight in a Perfect World" sampled "Summer Breeze" by the Isley Bros, and of course, "What Does Your Soul Look Like, Part 1" sampled the voice of the Dream Giant from Twin Peaks Ep. 14 (one of my all time favorite shows). How could I not love that album forever.

Avalanches still get tons of play. All of the Memory Tapes stuff and Dayve Hawk’s other side projects. Lots of Boards of Canada, especially the Campfire Headphase and Geogaddi. I also mix in a lot of Ulrich Schnauss + A Shoreline Dream. Also Pantha Du Prince’s collaboration with Panda Bear (I think) is very good.

Home (when wife’s around) - Crystal Castles has been showing up a fair bit. I also am really digging the Local Native’s like Jimmy. Though, I don’t quite see the comparison to Fleet Foxes, as I think FF have a much richer sound where as LNs are defined by a rougher harmony. And I am still majorly stuck on Hot Chip’s One Life Stand. For me, that is far and away the best album of the year so far. Also, Owen Pallet’s Heartland is getting some iPod spins - especially "Oh Heartland, Up Yours!" and "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt."

Home (when wife isn’t around) - lately, I have really gotten back to metal roots and have been listening to Slayer’s Show No Mercy over and over. Metal Storm and Tormentor have some of the all time best thrash riffs. Mastodon and Baroness are going to start getting a lot of play in preparation for their upcoming show in Greensburg.

Ship ship McGip!

Roberto:

I agree with both points on Local Natives--digging it for sure, but don't hear the Fleet Foxes there for the most part. I've also been listening more to Embryonic recently, and it does come together on repeated listens. It's like a darker, more samey version of Yoshimi... which takes some time to sink its hooks into you beyond "Convinced of the Hex."

I sort of moved past the Hot Chip record in the past week but have been pretty heavy on both Owen Pallett and Beach House. That might be in part because I never put Hot Chip on the iPod though, so haven't been hearing it as much outside of the office.

Massive Attack, anyone? I never got into them in the past but I really, really like about 70% of the new record. The album ebbs and flows, as do several of the tracks, but most of the songs are mostly enjoyable, which is as much as you can ask of most albums, no? "Pray for Rain" with its awesome drumbeat is a great starting track, then "Babel" sort of loses my interest before "Splitting the Atom" comes in sounding a bit off-kilter but really pulls itself together and finishes beautifully. Some more ups and downs until you hit "Paradise Circus," which is just awesome imo. Hope Sandoval's voice melds nicely with that backing track that's reminiscent of a subdued Fiona Apple. Which I'm cool with.

Download/Stream:

Ryan Bingham - "The Weary Kind"

Local Natives - "Airplanes"

SITKOT: St. Patrick's Edition

Based on some e-mails, I gathered that a lot of the regular readers grew weary of this series last year, so I'll spare you a continuation and just point new readers to the old posts this time around.

I will point out, though, that Mick Moloney's Green Fields of America are playing the Carnegie Lecture Hall this weekend for those of you who do dig the Irish tunes. City Paper has a nice little piece on Mick in this week's issue.

It looks like I didn't necessarily do these things in any order last year, other than to save the best for last, so let's go ahead and rank them for the sake of nothing at all:

9. Dropkick Murphys - Warrior's Code

8. Tommy Sands - Heart's a Wonder

7. Flogging Molly - Swagger

6. U2 - The Joshua Tree

5. The Wolfe Tones - Greatest Hits

4. The Chieftains - The Long Black Veil

3. The Pogues - The Very Best of The Pogues

2. Van Morrison and the Chieftains - Irish Heartbeat

1. Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy - The Makem & Clancy Collection

Download:
Mick Moloney - "The Irish Volunteers"

Rodrigo y Gabriela: at the Byham tonight; on WYEP this afternoon

As far as I know, tickets are still available for this show tonight, which should be phenomenal.

Her flamenco rhythms against his latin-metal solo lines offer a pulsing melodic blend that's just plain sweet to listen to. Particularly if you're a guitar player or an acoustic music lover, it's pretty much a must-see (with the understanding that there are no real consequences of not seeing it other than not seeing it).

Rumor is they should be stopping by WYEP in the next hour, so you may want to tune in for a listen.

Soft rock songs overheard in the office that have become stuck in my head this week

In descending order from favorite to least:

Phil Collins - "Against the Odds"
Heart - “These Dreams”
Elton John - "Daniel"
Bette Middler - “Wind Beneath My Wings”
Mariah Carey - “Emotions”
Sarah McLaughlin - “Angel”

Beach House will kick off summer in Pittsburgh

I normally just update the concert calendar without mentioning it in a post, but I thought this merited a mention given their excellent new album, the growing hype behind it, and--much as I honestly love snow--the urgency with which I pine for summertime to arrive.

BEACH HOUSE
Plus a special guest
Weds, June 16, 2010 7:00 PM
DIESEL

Here's their latest track, "The Arrangement":

St. Vincent - Not the College in Latrobe where the Stillers practice

So last night Annie Clark and her band St. Vincent landed at Diesel in the Southside. I attended the show with my new side-project bandmate (see our acoustic chamber pop act "The Snow Drifts" coming soon to a chill venue near you) and we both agreed that Annie and her band put on quite a show. As many of you probably know, Annie has played with Sufjan Stevens and it was clear from the start that her band was going to utilize a vast array of instruments as well. In addition to the standard line-up of guitar, bass and drums, many of the songs featured synth, violin, flute, clarinet or saxophone.

Right from the start, Annie hits you with her amazing vocals. She has great pipes and really uses her range well to contrast what can be some intense instrumentation from her band - it's very striking to hear live. This is a good example of when a studio album can't do an artist or a band justice - some things are just better in a live setting no matter what kind of pro-turntable and tube amplifier your use in your geek-den.

Annie played many songs off of Actor; some high points for me were "The Strangers" and "Actor Out of Work". For the encore, she also played an awesome, solo rendition of "Paris is Burning", which highlighted her guitar work and finger picking proficiency. By the way, she can absolutely shred as well. On several songs, her insane shredding brought her to her knees Hendrix-flaming-guitar-style. Unfortunately, because Diesel was so packed I missed a lot of what she was doing at that point, so I'll have to leave it to my imagination and yours.

Overall, a tight set with a bare bones psychedelic feel due to the strobe lights and smoke machine. There are only two negatives that I will point out: (1) Annie's guitar was mixed very low at the beginning of the set and was completely drowned out by the drums and synth on several early songs; and (2) because the crowd was so large, we were stuck near the men's bathroom on the first floor and the dude who hands you towels and sells single cigarettes had the door wide-open. That wouldn't be noteworthy enough to make this review, but he was also watching some movie on a mini-DVD player with the volume turned up loud enough to hear during the show. Now I'm all in favor of free enterprise and I'm sure it sucks sitting in a men's bathroom next to a couple commodes and some urinals all night, but either put on some headphones or shut the damn door. Thankfully, somebody finally had him lower the volume, and eventually he shut the door, but still! That might be perfectly fine on a "normal" Saturday night when Diesel turns into a sweat factory, but not during a St. Vincent show.

So anyway, kudos to the Pittsburgh music contingency for coming out en masse on a Sunday night at Diesel for a killer show, and kudos to Annie and her band for making it completely worth it.

Eyes on the roads

And in case anyone cares, I've spent about two-thirds of my life in Pittsburgh and I am firmly in the anti-chair camp. The rest of you are just egocentric loons.

Excerpts of a convo about new tunes had among the lazy SITKOT bloggers

SITKOT's been a little quiet lately for no good reason, but our stereos have not. Here's what we're listening to, as discussed over some snowy e-mails this morning:

El Loco Mooso:

My favorite albums so far this year are:

Owen Pallet - Heartland

and

Hot Chip - One Life Stand

That is all.

Jimmy:

I agree that Owen Pallet is one of the top albums so far. My list would also include:

Beach House - Teen Dream
Spoon - Transference

I'm a little underwhelmed by the new Yeasayer album. The first half is very good and on par with their first album, which I thought was awesome. The second half of the album doesn't do it for me. While Spoon's new album gets stronger towards the end, it's almost as if Yeasayer ran out of ideas. I may just have to give it a few more listens though until I make a final decision.

The new Beach House is awesome from beginning to end. Definitely my favorite so far this year.

El Loco Mooso:

Yeah, totally agree.

And those are interesting because so far, I've only listened to the first couple songs from the Yeasayer and Spoon albums and my initial impression was the opposite of yours, which makes sense. The BH album that I have listened to so far has been good. I'll have to listen a little more though. I think I’ve always been drawn to good electronica which is why im digging the new hot chip.

Roberto:

Wow, I'm way behind. I have to confess that of all these, I've only heard about half of Yeasayer and 3/4 of Beach House, and the latter only because Jimmy accidently burned two copies and I got the benefit of that mistake. What kind of a sh*tty rockblogger am I?

Oh yeah, and Spoon I guess. As I was telling Jimmy, I like it better than their past records just because it's more consistently pretty good. No great standouts, but no blatant filler either. A slight departure for them in that regard. Sort of reminds my of a watered down Veckatimest, which I keep liking more and more. So maybe Transference will be a grower?

El Loco Mooso:

Oh and for any black metal fans out there [crickets] Immortal’s All Shall Fall is a-m-a-z-i-n-g.

Btw, Hot Chip's One Life Stand is already on Grooveshark. Go listen to it over and over.

Get on the ball, Roberta.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For the record, Henry mentioned that he's been listening to a lot of Neil Young lately, as have I--Prairie Wind and On the Beach in particular. (And, for your FYI, Henry also hinted at a possible blogging comeback.)